Operating table



ign. 9 1.940. R. ALoPAEus 2,186,660

OPERATING TABLE 'Filed sept. 28, 1957 Vj; i l 'D' LH#- /73 j/ a /19 gm JKT/6 FUN/AR ALFAEUE Patented Jan. 9, 1940v vuNrrsD STATES ,PATENT OFFICEv Runar Alopaeus, Helsingfors, Finland Application September 28, 1937 Serial No. 166,180

' In Finland October 2, 1936 5 claims.v (c1. 311-7) y The present invention relates to an improved operating table, the table-top of which consists of several parts, which are adjustable relative one another aswell as adjustable all together sideways and in vertical'direction. The inven` tion relates especiallyto the system by which thi adjustment is carried out; i

The following isla full, clear, and exact description of the invention., Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which,

v Fig. l shows the table with its adjusting sysf tem seen from below, the View being a section on the line I-I of Fig. 2,`

Fig. 2 illustrates same seen from one side,

Figs. 3-6 show in diagrammaticmanner side- .viewsvof the table with the adjusting system in different positions, v

Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation later again referred to.

It is necessary that operating tables be adjust.- able not only as to height and inclination, but the table-top must also be arranged so as to make it possible to place the body of the patient in those different positions, which are necessary to carry out the desire-d operation. A further yrequirement is, that said table-top parts must be' adjustable easily-and conveniently.

It is of course already known in the art to divide the top-of an operating table into different parts which are adjustable relatively to one another. The adjustment `device for these table-top parts has, however, been an object for numerous experiments, nevertheless a simple and conveniently operate-d adjusting system has not been obtained.

It is known in the art to provide a system adapted to adjust the different parts of the tabletop independently of one another bymeans of screws, hydraulic pumps etc.v Ithas further been proposed to regulate the position cf the table-top parts by means of a three armedsupport, which is iX'ed to two of the table-top parts and further to pivoted operating rods under' the head end of the table. Ihis embodiment has however also proved not quitesatisfactory, because the three-armed support piece is complicated to arrange and fix correctly to the table-top parts and further this construction requires so much power for the adjustment operation that it has proved to be necessary to arrange strong lsprings in the system, which however complicate the system. Finally such a three-armed support piecer requires considerable space below the table and thus obstructs the knees of the surgeon at such with a known hydraulic arrangement for the lifting and lowering of the table-top. The joint between the table-top parts 3 and 4. is provided with a slide locking arrangement of suitable kind,

be seen that a rod 23 is pivoted at 2l to a block on the under side of table section 3 and passes through a member 25 pivoted at 22 to the under side of section il, a set screw 24 being provided to hold slide rod23 in its adjusted positions in member 25.

The adjustment system consists of two operating rods Il extending longitudinally under the table. At one end the rods are provided with suitable handles, and at the other end they are pivotaby arranged between flanges I2, situated at that end ofthe table-top part 2, which is directed towards the central carrying pillar I 0 of the table. The flanges i2 have such alength that the connecting point I9 between said flanges I2 and the rods II lies somewhat lower'tha-n the bearing I3 on the pillar Il! around which the operating tab-le i. e. its longitudinal axis is turned in'the vertical plan. y l l The rods Il are 'further rigidly connectedto two slidable locking devices I4 and l5, of which the one', Id is slidably and lockably connected toI a guide rod I6, which at I8 is pivotably connected to the central carrying pillar I- at a point I8 situated lower than the pivoted bearing I9 ofthe rods l I in the flanges I2, and the other l5, in the same manner slidably and lockably on the guide rod ll, arranged on the underside of the arf table-top part #i and parallel to same in the l sition `necessary for the operation in question.

The adjustment of the table-top parts into dif.- 55

pillar lil of the rod l.

ly the patients seat, stomach and chest part and his shoulder part. The table-top parts I and 5, which carry the patients legs and head, thus relatively light parts, may be connected with the abutting table-top part in any suitable way and are of no importance for the invention.

The position of the table-top shown in Fig. 2

is assumed as starting position for every movement. In Fig. 2 the lower slide block l@ is visible.

When it is desired to swing all table-top parts together simultaneously, i. e. as one single rigid table-top e. g, in order to obtain a position according to Fig. 3, the slide block l is locked (indicated by the dot 15X in Fig. 3) on its guide rod l1, so as not to permit any relative movement between these two members, while on the other hand the locking device of the slide block Hi is loosened, so as to permit this to slide along the guide roo'. it. By this arrangement the table-top parts Il and l together form a plate, which at both ends is connected to a rod, in consequence whereof the parts cannot change their mutual position, but are forced as one single plate to follow every movement of the rods ll. Ii the handles of the rods il thus are pressed downwards, a position according to Fig. 3 is obtained. During the swinging movement the slide block lll slides freely forwards and backwards along the guide rod iii.

If the position shown in Figures l and 5 is desired, the locking mechanism of the sli-de block l5 unlocked, while the slide-block M is locked (indicated by the dots IGK in Figs. l and 5) on its guide rod i5, as to X the distance between the slide-block lll and the bearing i3 on the carrying if the rods li now are lifted or lowered, the rod l5, the slide-block It and the point 20 will swing around the bearing point i8. The swinging radius o the movement of the slide-block is shorter than is the swinging radius for its movement around the bearings of the rodsl ll in the flanges l2, i. e. the point i9. Thus by the swinging movement a stress arises in the longitudinal direction oi the rods between the connecting point on the rods ll of the block l and their bearings in the anges l2 i. e. between the points iii and 2th The bearing point i5 is movable together with the 'flanges i2 and the table-top part il, around the link` 'l whilst the point 2t is fixed. The aforementioned stress in the longitudinal direction oi the rods Il pushes or pulls the bearing lli in the one or the other direction accordingly as the rods l E are lifted or lowered.

Ii the rods are lifted, the point it, and together with it the flange lil, will be pushed to the left, see Figure e, and the position illustrated in said Fig, 4 is obtained. By lowering the rods ll a pulling stress will arise in them, with a result opposite to that described by the aforementioned` tion. Herein lies a considerable difference especially against the known system, which works with the above mentioned three-armed support piece.

If the surgeon wishes to place the patient into the so called gall-position, and adjust the table accordingly, see Fig. 6, the slide-block Ill as well as the slide-block i5 are fastened (indicated by the dots itx-HEX in Fig. 6), whereas the screw 2@ in the member 25 is loosened. If now the rods ll are lifted, the pressure between the points I9 and 2G will bend the table-top at the pivot 'l as well as at the pivot 8. l

The slide blocks lll and i5 may be looked to their respective guide rods it and l l in any known way, as for example by set screws MX and lx respectively.

Having now `fully described my invention, I claim:

l. In an operatingr table, ya pedestal, a top cornposed of atleast three articulated plates arranged end to end and constructed to support the patients seat, back and shoulders respectively, the middle one or" which is pivotally mounted on said pedestal, an adjusting mechanism common to said three plates and including an operating member pivoted at one end to a second of said three plates and extending beneath the other plates, a rod xed to the third plate, a second rod pivoted to said pedestal and lying adjacent said i'lrst mentioned rod, slide members connected to said operating member at a fixed point and slidaoly mounted respectively on said rods, and means to hold at will said slide members from sliding on their respective rods.

2, An operating table the table top of which supported on a central pillar and divi-ded into a plurality of table-top parts angularly adjustable relative to vone another, comprising longitudinally arranged rods secured pivotally to flanges carried by that end oi' the table-top part for the patients seat directed towards the central part of the table-top and to two mutually combined slide blocks arranged at the side of the central pillar remote from said flanges, one of 1,

said slide blocks being adapted to slide and lock on a guide rod pivoted to the central support pillar and arranged below the first-mentioned rod and the other slide block being adapted to slide and lock on a guide rod arranged rigidly on the i part of the table-top for the patients shoulders and above the other guide rods.

3. An operating table as claimed in claim 2 having longitudinally extending operating rods, secured to the table-top plate for the patients seat at a point situated lower than the main supporting bearings of the table on its central pillar.

4. In an operating table, a pillar, a table top comprising least three articulated members connected together end to end, means to pivotally mount the intermediate one of said members on said pillar, at .least one guide rod mounted longitudinally under and on a secon-d one o said three members, a slide block on said guide rod, means to lock said slide block to said rod at any position desired, rod pivoted to said pillar, a second slide block on said last named rod, at least one operating rod pivotally connected to the third of said members, Imeans pivotally connecting both of said slide blocks to said operating rod on a common pivotal axis, and means for locking said second slide block toits rod at any desired position.

5. In an operating table, a pillar, a table top comprising at least three articulated members connected together end to end, means to pivotallyy mount the intermediate one of said members `on said pillar, at least one guide rod mounted longitudinally under and on a rsecond one of said three members, a slide block on said guide rod, means to lock said slide block to said rod at any position desired, a rod pivoted to said pillar, a second slide block on said last named rod, at least one 10 operating rod pivotally connected to the third of said members, means pivotally connecting both of said slide blocks to said operating rod on a common pivotal axis, means for locking said second slide block to its rod at any desired position, andv adjustable means connecting said intermedil ate and said second table-top` members together lto hold the same against articulation when desired. f

RUNAR ALoPAEUs. 10 

